Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-08-23
AGRICULTURAL.
Devoted to the Interests Of Farmers
and Stockmen.
Poultry Culture.


line of poultry-raising and make the
enterprise fairly profitable. Without
the keeping of accounts the poultry
man cannot certainly know whether he
is going up or down. He should not
only make record of all expenses and
all poultry and eggs not sold or con-
sumed, but there are other items OF
experience of which he should make
memoranda. For instance, one per-
son OF our acquaintance kept flock
Of forty-two Houdan hens. He fed
them regularly ON scalded wheat bran
in the morning, with the addition OF q
small quantity OF refuse meat and all
the turnips they would eat, and at
night gavethem feeding of dry wheat.
He got from the flock an average OF
twenty-four eggs per day. Then he
made change of diet; gave plenti-
full supply Of wheat in the morning,
and hard, dry corn at night, with no
meat. The cost OF feeding was about
the same in both cases-and now the
income. The eggs decreased imme-
diately, and in less than two weeks the
daily number was thirteen. This was
fact worthy of record, and our friend
thought he knew exactly what was the
matter He quickly resumed the for
mer practice, and the egg record went
to an average of twenty-four. Then he
left off meat entirely and substituted a
full supply of skinned milk. There
was no decrease in eggs, but slight
increase.
A record should be kept OF such ex-
periments and their results, but there
is really no necessity for very many
experiments in feeding. Those have
been made and published time and
again, SO that he who reads may know
that full feelings of dry corn given to
fowls when confined to small yards
will not conduce to large numbers of
eggs; in fact, in this climate it is much
better not to use corn at all. Accounts
have been kept by many of our cores
pondents owning from twenty to ninety
layers, and it has demonstrated what
we have claimed time and again in
these columns, that profit may be OBJ
tanned from ~ to $4 annually on each
hen kept. But in most instances there
is no account kept, and only guess
in regard to'the question of profit or
loss. There have also been accounts
kept OF poultry on larger scale, with
slightly smaller profits per head. All
necessary accounts may be kept in a
small note book that can be carried in
the breast-pocket. There is no elabo-
rate bookkeeping, yet there are many
uses for such book. We all know
how often points for consideration oc-
eur to US at inopportune times and
fade from our memories and become
lost unless noted down: A few words
written with pencil in the note, book
may become valuable, as preserving
prices offered or accepted, paid or due,
orders received, expressage to leading
points, dates of Matching, age of stock
markings of different strains or fami-
lies--in fact, such little notebook
may contain a sufficient record of
events to guide the breeder next year
to facts that he will think are of SOME
importance. No matter how good our
memories are, they cannot be expected
to retain the events of year ago as
satisfactory as the written remem-
brance in our note books.
By all means we advise poultry
keepers to keep strict account with
their poultry. Charge the fowls with
their cost, rent OF building, cost of feed
and the value of time devoted to their
care. Give credit for eggs produced,
poultry sold or used for food, and the
value OF stock, old and young, at the
close OF the account. At the end of
the year there will be a sound argu-
ment in the form OF figures to prove
that poultry keeping pays, if the bus
mess has been rightly done; if not the
truth will not hurt in the long run, for
a careful survey OF the accounts may
show that there has been an unnec-
essary leakage somewhere, that NAV
be stopped. Some beginners make
mistakes, at first, in any business. It
is quite as important to be aware of
losses as OF gains. This is not written
for the men OF ample means, who keep
fowls for pleasure, but for the thou
sands who would be thrifty and con.
duct poultry business, large or small
in the very best way.
1t is not enough to know in a gem
eral way that fowls seem to be doing
pretty well. To know what we are
about, and what kind of labor paws
best, we must have a system and not
go hap-hazard or by jerks. We ought
to know how different kinds of food
affect health or egg productions; how
a dollars worth of oats or corn com.
pares with the same value in wheat or
barley, in lasting or nutritive qualities
The EGG machine" should run with
the least possible friction, with no I'M
necessary waste OF power. Then, too.
the keeping of memoranda as we
have suggested, will enable the breeder
to give more accurate descriptions of
STOCK to those who wish to purchase
birds, IN case fancy fowls are cult.
waited. He can readily state the exact
age, strain, or family of particular
birds. The ability to state to custo.
mer that certain cockerel sent tn hin,
Is from mating last year of "Nero.n
weighing ten pounds, with "Bessn
weighing eight pounds, etc, instead Of
stating vaguely that said cockerel was
from good sire and dam, is worth more
than those who have not tried such a
method may suspect. Keep accounts
and make notes. '''-''